Hawaii Island

Students from Wai‘anae High School in West O‘ahu tell the story of Matthew Reyes Jr., an enterprising young pig farmer who helps his parent run Reyes’ Hog Farm in Ma‘ili. Matthew is so dedicated to his family’s business that he sacrifices any semblance of a social life. All of his waking hours are taken up by attending high school and working on the pig farm. Through this dedication, he has developed an in- depth knowledge of the pig farming business and a great sense of pride in his profession. He does want to study business once he gets to college because he feels it will give him an edge in this very competitive industry.

ALSO FEATURED

–Students from Waīakea High School in the Hilo district of Hawai‘i Island introduce us to a high school track star who, through the friendship and camaraderie she developed with her teammates and coaches, learned to love a sport she once dreaded.

–Students from Kalama Intermediate School in Makawao, Maui, feature a Hawaiian Immersion teacher who connects to her culture by painting words that express its values.

–Students from ‘Ilima Intermediate School in ‘Ewa, O‘ahu, tell the story of a young French horn player who learns about herself in the process of learning the music.

–Students from Kamehameha Schools Maui Middle introduce us to a wheelchair-bound school counselor who sees challenges not as obstacles, but as a way to grow.

–Students from Kaua‘i High School in Līhu‘e tell the story of young Thai immigrants who learn the value of hard work in Hawai‘i’s fast food industry.

–Students from Pacific Buddhist Academy present a primer on the ancient Japanese martial art of kendo.

This program encores Saturday, Aug. 11, at 12:00 pm and Sunday, Aug. 13, at 3:00 pm. You can also view HIKI NŌ episodes on our website, www.pbshawaii.org/hikino.

Students from Maui High School in Kahului present an inspiring story about Keizhawn Daquis, a Maui Waena Intermediate School student who was born with spina bifida, a birth defect in which a developing baby’s spinal cord fails to develop properly. As a result Keizhawn needs a wheelchair to get around. Despite his disability, Keizhawn is active in a number of sports, including tennis, surfing, wheelchair racing and swimming.

ALSO FEATURED:

–Students from Kapa‘a Middle School on Kaua‘i show us how a love of dance has shaped the life and career of a Kaua‘i-based ballet teacher.

–Students from Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy on Hawai‘i Island tell the story of an historic campus building that was physically moved into Waimea town and turned into an art gallery.

–Students from ‘Ilima Intermediate School in ‘Ewa, O‘ahu, show us how to make the local sweet treat halo halo.

–Students from Kalani High School in East Honolulu tell the story of a young man who uses rap as a means of personal expression.

–Students from Kua o ka Lā Miloliʻi Hīpuʻu Virtual Academy on Hawai‘i Island introduce us to a woman who is dedicated to the preservation of precious Hawai‘i ecosystems.

–Students from Mid-Pacific in the Mānoa district of O‘ahu reveal how their baseball team uses an ancient Japanese tradition as a source of inspiration.

Students from H.P. Baldwin High School on Maui trace a fellow student’s road to recovery after he was hit by a drunk driver. In May 2017, Baldwin senior Jerome Ribao suffered a severe leg injury from the accident. Despite this setback, Jerome found ways to remain active. After graduation, Jerome plans to continue to work toward his career goal of becoming an auto mechanic.

ALSO FEATURED

–Students from Aliamanu Middle School on O‘ahu explore the fears and anxieties faced by students transitioning from elementary to middle school. (From the HIKI NŌ archives.)

–Students from Moanalua High School on O‘ahu profile a marching band director who encourages students not to be the best students in the world, but to be the best people for the world. (From the HIKI NŌ archives.)

–Students from Waimea High School on Kaua‘i tell the story of a Waimea graduate who became a successful t-shirt artist and returned to his home-town to give back to his community. (From the HIKI NŌ archives.)

–Students from Montessori School of Maui in Makawao show how to create a device that will occupy and entertain cats for hours on end.

–Students from Konawaena High School on Hawai‘i Island show how a sport with origins from Native American Indians is growing in popularity on their island.

–And students from Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on Kaua‘i tell the story of a quadriplegic artist who has developed a unique way of painting. (From the HIKI NŌ archives.)

This episode of HIKI NŌ is hosted by students at Kapa‘a Middle School in Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i.

Students from Maui Waena Intermediate School in Kahului, Maui, profile urban farmer Larry Yonashiro. After a thirty-year career as an I.T. professional, Yonashiro wanted to return to his family’s farming roots (his father worked on a pineapple plantation), but in a modern way. “Agriculture’s been a part of my family for a long time,” says Yonashiro. “I just had it in my blood. I wanted to go back to farming.” So he took up aquaponics, not as a hobby (which is how most aquaponics farmers start) but as an actual commercial farm. With the help of his wife, Patty, and their daughter (who has a background in food science), Yonashiro has joined the thriving sustainable farming movement on Maui.

ALSO FEATURED

–Students from Punahou School on O‘ahu profile the islands’ youngest beekeeper.

–Students from Roosevelt High School on O‘ahu explore a sanctuary for plants native to Hawai‘i.

–Students from H.P. Baldwin High School on Maui tell the story of a young woman who mends her relationship with her recovered meth-addict father.

–Students from Wheeler Middle School on O‘ahu show us how to make a fun and gooey substance known as…SLIME!

–Students from Waiākea High School on Hawai‘i Island delve into the fantasy world of cosplay.

–Students from Maui High School in Kahului, Maui, tell the story of a marching band saxophone player who struggles with a degenerative spinal condition.

This episode of HIKI NŌ is hosted by students at Kealakehe Intermediate School in the Kona district of Hawai‘i Island.

Students from Wai‘anae Intermediate School in West O‘ahu tell the story of Leihali‘a Panui, a female place-kicker and senior at Kamehameha Schools Kapalama who played on the school’s men’s varsity football team during the 2017 season. At first Leihali‘a’s father was not sure he wanted his daughter playing football, but Lei’s mother said, “I told my husband, ‘Who are we to say whether Leihali‘a can or cannot play football? We’ll just leave it up to the coaches and let them decide if she’s good enough for the team.’” The coaches decided Leihali‘a was good enough and welcomed her onto the team. Once he saw his daughter playing, Dad was won over: “It’s an amazing feeling seeing my daughter on the field playing football and hearing the spectators cheering her on.” Says Leihali‘a, “If you love something and you’re passionate about it, I would definitely think you should go for it 110% with all your heart because you don’t want to look back ten years later and regret it. Life is too short to have any regrets.”

ALSO FEATURED

–Students from Mid-Pacific on O‘ahu tell the story of a street performer turned painter who finds an enthusiastic audience in Waikīkī.

–Students from James Campbell High School in Leeward O‘ahu tell the story of a child of divorce who finds solace and a new family in dance.

–Students from Kapa‘a High School on Kaua‘i explore the reasons why their town has the largest concentration of Mexican restaurants in the state.

–Students from Aiea High School on O‘ahu show us how to make a money lei (a very popular lei among graduates).

This episode is an encore presentation of a HIKI NŌ special that first aired in the summer of 2017– HIKI NŌ Focus On Compassion: Self-Identity –hosted and co-written by HIKI NŌ alumna and Wai‘anae High School graduate Crystal Cebedo. This encore presentation includes a brief update on Crystal, who is majoring in Marketing and Human Resources at Menlo College in Atherton, California on a full scholarship.

The HIKI NŌ stories in this special look at compassion for self-identity in terms of culture, gender, body image, ethnicity, or appearance. They include:

“Calcee Nance” from Kaua‘i High School on Kaua‘i: the story of a teen mentor at the Boys and Girls Club whose instinct to nurture and feed others was inspired by her relationship with her late mother.

“Kimberly Yap” from Lahainaluna High School on Maui: the story of a young woman whose decisions about her future are complicated by her multicultural identity as a half Filipina, half Micronesian born in Kiribati and raised on Maui.

“Mark Yamanaka” from Mid-Pacific on O‘ahu: a feature on Mark Yamanaka, a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning musician, who overcame internal conflicts about being a non-Hawaiian playing Hawaiian music. He has since been embraced by the Hawaiian music community for his commitment to learning and singing in the Hawaiian language and his skillful guitar playing.

“Cosplay” from Waiākea High School on Hawai‘i Island: a look at how cosplay – dressing up as characters from books, movies, or your own imagination – gave a group of high school students the freedom to express their true selves in a creative and fun way.

“Body Image” from Maui Waena Intermediate School on Maui: a look at how the images of females onscreen and in magazines had a negative impact on one girl’s self-image and self-confidence.

“Through Rachel’s Camera” from ‘Iolani School on O‘ahu: the story of a young woman who uses her camera and art to combat traditional gender stereotypes and to express her identity as a feminist and activist.

“Pride and Diversity” from Moanalua High School on O‘ahu: a feature on how the Honolulu Pride Parade and Festival helps support and encourage LGBTQ youth who often don’t see themselves reflected in their school or local communities.

“Aurora’s Story” from Wai‘anae Intermediate School on O‘ahu: a look at how one teacher uses her experience with trichotillomania, an impulse disorder that results in her pulling out her hair, to teach her students about self-acceptance.

TOP STORY
Students from Kapa‘a High School on Kaua‘i tell the story of Vietnam War veteran Bobbie Paik, a Purple Heart recipient who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A major source of Mr. Paik’s PTSD was the fact that twenty-two soldiers in his company were killed during the six months they were together. “…it’s kinda hard, you know, I getting a Purple Heart, and friend from Maui, he went home in a box,” says Paik. Paik discusses the various ways in which he copes with this PTSD, including restoring classic cars.

ALSO FEATURED
–Students from Kapolei High School on O‘ahu show us how Girl Scouts keep pedestrians in Makakilo safe.

–Students from Aiea High School O‘ahu show us the proper way to fold a T-shirt.

–Students from Konawaena High School on the Kona side of Hawai‘i Island introduce us to an alumnus who was part of the recent Nobel-prize-winning project that measured the change in gravitational waves, proving Einstein’s theory of relativity.

–Students from Waimea High School in West Kaua‘i tell the story of a sausage vendor who has found great success with his kalua pork-topped hot dogs.

–Students from Aliamanu Middle School on O‘ahu profile a Hawai‘i-based Chinese American filmmaker and her eight-year-long journey to complete her documentary on another Hawai‘i-based Chinese American woman from an earlier era who had produced the first Academy-Award-winning documentary.

–Students from Moanalua High School on O‘ahu present a character study on a homeless surfer who is always there to lend a helping hand to his fellow surfers.

This program encores Saturday, Nov. 18, at 12:00 pm and Sunday, Nov. 19, at 3:00 pm. You can also view HIKI NŌ episodes on our website, www.pbshawaii.org/hikino.

The third of four Focus on Compassion HIKI NŌ episodes compiles archived stories that center on the theme of compassion for self-identity. This four-episode series is hosted by Crystal Cebedo, a 2016 HIKI NŌ and Wai‘anae High School graduate who is currently attending Menlo College in Atherton, California. The stories in this episode look specifically at compassion for self-identity in terms of culture, gender, body image, ethnicity, or appearance.

The outstanding HIKI NŌ stories in this Focus on Compassion show include:

“Calcee Nance” from Kaua‘i High School on Kaua‘i: the story of a teen mentor at the Boys and Girls Club whose instinct to nurture and feed others was inspired by her relationship with her late mother.

“Kimberly Yap” from Lahainaluna High School on Maui: the story of a young woman whose decisions about her future are complicated by her multicultural identity as a half-Filipina, half-Micronesian born in Kiribati and raised on Maui.

“Mark Yamanaka” from Mid-Pacific on O‘ahu: a feature on Mark Yamanaka, a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning musician, who overcame internal conflicts about being a non-Hawaiian playing Hawaiian music. He has since been embraced by the Hawaiian music community for his commitment to learning and singing in the Hawaiian language and his skillful guitar playing.

“Cosplay” from Waiākea High School on Hawai‘i Island: a look at how cosplay – dressing up as characters from books, movies, or your own imagination – gave a group of high school students the freedom to express their true selves in a creative and fun way.

“Body Image” from Maui Waena Intermediate School on Maui: a look at how the images of females onscreen and in magazines had a negative impact on one girl’s self-image and self-confidence.

“Through Rachel’s Camera” from ‘Iolani School on O‘ahu: the story of a young woman who uses her camera and art to combat traditional gender stereotypes and to express her identity as a feminist and activist.

“Pride and Diversity” from Moanalua High School on O‘ahu: a feature on how the Honolulu Pride Parade and Festival helps support and encourage LGBTQ youth who often don’t see themselves reflected in their school or local communities.

“Aurora’s Story” from Wai‘anae Intermediate School on O‘ahu: a look at how one teacher uses her experience with trichotillomania, an impulse disorder that results in her pulling out her hair, to teach her students about self-acceptance.

This program encores Saturday, Sept. 23, at 12:00 pm and Sunday, Sept. 24, at 3:00 pm. You can also view HIKI NŌ episodes on our website, www.pbshawaii.org/hikino.

TOP STORY
Adults today bemoan the fact that members of the younger generation spend all of their waking hours on their smartphones. Young people from that very generation – students from Kapa‘a Middle School on Kaua‘i will surprise viewers with their video primer on “Ten Things To Do When You’re NOT On Your Smartphone.” The activities they feature include making new friends, volunteering for a worthy cause, learning a new hobby – all things that take you away from the virtual world of your screen and into engaging with people face-to-face in the actual, physical world.

ALSO FEATURED
Students at Kapolei High School in Central O‘ahu tell the story of a school fun-run that was renamed to honor a teacher’s daughter who passed away from cancer.

Students at Konawaena High School in the Kona district of Hawai‘i Island tell the poignant story of a same-sex married couple whose love lives on after the tragic death of one partner.

Students from Radford High School in the Salt Lake district of O‘ahu tell the story of a football coach who makes life lessons a priority over winning.

Students from Kua O Ka La Miloli‘i Hipu‘u Virtual Academy in South Kona show us how to make unique t-shirt prints out of recycled materials.

And students from Kainalu Elementary School on the Windward side of O‘ahu show us how to use earthworms to make a nutrient-rich type of fertilizer.

This program encores Saturday, Dec. 24 at 12:00 pm and Sunday, Dec. 25 at 3:00 pm. You can also view HIKI NŌ episodes on our website, www.pbshawaii.org/hikino.